


On My Mind

by love_myself



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Awkward Crush, Cuddling & Snuggling, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Relationship, Fluff, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Idiots in Love, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Pansexual Nishinoya Yuu, Volleyball, Volleyball Dorks in Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25372648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_myself/pseuds/love_myself
Summary: From the day that he saw the Tiny Giant, volleyball has been the center of Hinata Shouyou's world. But lately, another tiny giant has been catching Hinata's attention.aka Hinata falls in love with something that isn't volleyball
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Nishinoya Yuu
Comments: 48
Kudos: 312





	1. Left Behind

To be completely honest, Hinata Shouyou was rather simple minded. He knew what he wanted in life, so that is what he did. There were not too many layers to him, he was pretty up front about how he felt about everything. And “everything” usually translated over to “volleyball” for the redhead. Afterall, the beloved sport was always at the front of his mind. Sure, like everyone, Shouyou thought about other things. He reluctantly tried to think during school, and enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. 

However, at the end of the day everything circled back to volleyball. He had to finish this question to go play, he would play with his sister and then go practice, he would text Kageyama and see if he wanted to toss the ball, etc. The same thing had happened this past week as he desperately studied in order to go play volleyball in Tokyo against Nekoma and the other powerhouse schools. He  _ had  _ to ace these tests, or he would never grow stronger, he would never be the best!

But these classes were just so  _ boring! _ Shouyou didn’t care about them, why should he try and understand them?! But he had to, for volleyball. The first year was nearing the end of his last exam, racing against the clock. He had studied for English more than anything else and was fairly confident. He would ace this for sure! Just before time was up, Shouyou finished. With a sigh of relief, he handed in his exam. However, as the teacher was taking it he had noticed that the last answer was one off.  _ Weird… _ hopefully it was the only one. 

The ambitious first year’s dreams were shot down quickly, as he later found out that he had not only failed English, but two other exams as well. This was quite literally his worst nightmare: he was missing out on improving at volleyball. To make it worse, when he met with the team Shouyou discovered that everyone else had managed to pass. He was going to be left behind...both in terms of the trip and in terms of skill. If only he had cared about school a little more…

“Ah, Hinata, don’t look so down! There will be other chances, I promise!” Suga tried to comfort the first year. 

“What if you came up after exams?” Tanaka suggested. Shouyou perked up momentarily until Tsukishima spoke up.

“No, this idiot failed three tests. So he has two retakes tomorrow and one the day after.” the tall boy pointed out. Shouyou went back to glaring at the floor.  _ This was so stupid! He needed to go, it wasn’t fair!  _ The redhead was broken from his thoughts when a wail reached his ears. He turned with the rest of the group to see Ennoshita and Nishinoya enter the gym. The shorter boy’s fists were clenched and he was glaring at the floor in the way Shouyou just had been. 

“Bad news?” Daichi asked in concern. Ennoshita sighed. 

“Nishinoya failed one of his exams and has to retake it tomorrow.” he explained to the team. 

"So did this dummy, but he failed three." Kageyama gestured to Shouyou. Nishinoya's head snapped up to look at the first year before the libero ran over and threw himself onto Shouyou. 

"Shouyou, you too?! This is so sad!" Nishinoya yelled as the two toppled over. Tanaka stomped over and glared at the two yelling boys.

"Noya! You promised you'd be in Tokyo with me! What will we do now?" Tanaka pouted. The libero looked up with an innocent shrug.

"Guess the rest of you will have to get better at receiving." He smirked, instantly started another argument in the club room.

The next morning came far too soon, and Shouyou's mood had not improved. Just hours before he had woken up, his teammates had taken off towards Tokyo. Meanwhile, Shouyou was stuck getting ready to go to school and take supplementary exams. The high schooler reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and got dressed before hurrying down the mountain on his bike. 

The trip was over all too soon, and Shouyou found himself with an exam in front of him. As fast as he tried to go, time flew by faster. Either way, it did not matter because he had one more exam to take tomorrow. Once he was done with the second exam, it was early afternoon. Even if he didn’t have an exam tomorrow, the drive was too long for him to participate in any games today at this point. With a heavy sigh, the redhead trudged across campus.    
  


Shouyou naturally ended up at the gym. If he could not go to Tokyo, he would at least get some practice in. He was still going to stay on the court longer than Kageyama, so the setter better watch out! However, when he went to open the door, Shouyou discovered that the gym was locked up for the break. 

“Agh!” Shouyou yelled, kicking the door in frustration. Before he could get too worked up, the enticing smell of fresh pork buns reached his nose and reminded the first year just how hungry he was. Whirling around, he saw Nishinoya approaching him. The second year had his black jacket slung over one shoulder, and was carrying a paper bag in the other hand. Gosh, Nishinoya was  _ so cool. _ How was he so cool all the time?!

“Shouyou!! I thought I would find you here.” his upperclassman waved cheerfully. Shouyou waved back, eyeing the bag excitedly. Nishinoya saw his gaze and let out a loud laugh.

“I thought you might be hungry, seems I am right, as always. Here, have a couple.” The libero held the bag out. Shouyou pounced at the bag, and shoved a bun into his mouth immediately. 

“Ah! This is why you are the best, Noya-senpai!” Shouyou said between bites. A light blush formed on the older boy’s face and he stood taller.

“Haha, that is right! I am the best senpai!” Nishinoya gestured to himself proudly. The two sat down on the steps of the gym and ate together in silence. Both were quite hungry, and ate fast. Once done, Shouyou stood up and threw the paper bag away. He stared longingly back at the gym. He would give anything to be in Tokyo right now, or at least to practice. He couldn’t let himself fall behind. 

“You wanna play volleyball, don’t you?” Nishinoya asked, observing his underclassman. Shouyou jumped as he was startled from his thoughts, before nodding eagerly. Nishinoya stood up and shrugged his jacket on.

“Well then, let’s go!” the libero said.

Shouyou trailed after his upperclassman for several blocks, wondering where they were going. Nishinoya led him through quieter and smaller streets until they emerged in an empty lot. The dirt was rock hard, and rough white lines had been spray painted into a court. An old but sturdy net was set up in the middle. 

“Noya-senpai, what is this place?!” Shouyou asked. The older boy took off his jacket and threw it to the side. He set his bag down next to it, and pulled a volleyball out. 

“This is a court I would always play at with other kids from the neighborhood as a kid, and during breaks sometimes. It’s nice because it’s hidden by all these buildings, so it’s kinda private. Plus there is no road or big open field to lose the ball in.” Nishinoya smiled at the redheaded boy. Shouyou clenched his fists in awe. 

“Wow! That’s so cool! Your special place of practice...do you still play here a lot?” he asked. In response to the question Nishinoya shrugged.

“Sort of. I’m rarely here at the same time as the neighborhood kids. It’s a nice place to think though. And I definitely prefer it to the crowded Community Center.” he explained. Shouyou nodded, it made sense. Nishinoya started bouncing the ball, clearly having excess energy to get out. 

“So, I had an idea, Shouyou.” he began in a voice far more serious than the first year was used to. “Our team is in Tokyo, experiencing new things and growing stronger. I don’t want them to come back to the same libero and middle blocker.” he suddenly tossed the ball to Shouyou, who desperately reached out with his right arm to receive it. The ball bounced off sideways and hit the wall of a nearby building. 

“So, I am gonna help you work on receiving. You can spike and block, if you can receive well you will be unstoppable. A true ace in the making.” Nishinoya said. Shouyou bounced on the balls of his feet, eyes lighting up.

“Do you really think so?!” he exclaimed happily. The older boy nodded confidently. 

“Yup! But I also want you to let me practice setting for you. If I can cover when the setters are down that will help our team a ton.” Nishinoya explained. Shouyou nodded enthusiastically. 

“Wow, you’re really smart, Noya-senpai! That’s a brilliant idea!” Shouyou cheered. Another light blush painted itself on the older boy’s face, which he tried to shake off with a laugh. He walked over to the volleyball and picked it up.

“Why of course! Now, let’s get started!” 

It was only hours later when the boys realized it was too hard to see the ball anymore that they stopped practicing. The sun had just set, leaving just the moon and stars to light up the court. 

“Wow. You have crazy stamina, Nishinoya.” Shouyou flopped onto the ground, out of breath. A breathy chuckle came from the libero as he laid down next to the first year.

“Yeah, but you keep up just fine, Shouyou.” 

The two had been working mainly on receives. Shouyou would take a running jump and slam the ball down over the net with both hands and Nishinoya would dive to receive it. They had also tried having Nishinoya set the ball, Shouyou spike it, and then Nishinoya would try and keep it off the ground. He would run under the net to the other side immediately after setting to accomplish this. Nishinoya did not have the same jumping power as Shouyou. However he had some powerful serves and hits that the first year practiced receiving. It had been a productive evening. Shouyou would definitely rather be in Tokyo if he could, but today hadn’t been so bad. 

Nishinoya’s phone buzzed, breaking the silence. 

“Ryu says they only won one set today. But they’re having fun.” he relayed the message to Shouyou. The redhead frowned. Only one set? He should have been there, maybe he could have-

“Look here!” Nishinoya’s command interrupted the first year’s thoughts. The older boy had rolled over so that he was right next to Shouyou, and he was holding his phone out for a selfie. Both boys flashed big smiles, despite being so tired. 

“I figured I would let the team know that we practiced, too.” Nishinoya explained, before sending the message to Tanaka. However, he didn’t roll away and stayed pressed up against Shouyou. 

The younger found himself suddenly very aware of his upperclassman’s arms. Nishinoya was so cool, and so strong! Yet here he was, choosing to spend his day with Shouyou. The libero was so warm, it felt rather good to lay next to him. Shouyou would not mind doing it more often. 

Shouyou had a bad habit of getting lost in thought around Nishinoya, as the older boy once again brought him back to reality by speaking. 

“We should do this again tomorrow.” the older boy suggested. Shouyou’s eyes widened, and he ended up grabbing Nishinoya’s arm in excitement. The older boy laughed, and sat up. When he sat up, with his back to the sky, the moon and stars framed him. It was beautiful. Nishinoya noticed the younger boy staring up at him, and laughed again.

“Oh, Shouyou, you’re so cute. Volleyball gets you so hyped up. It’s awesome.” The older boy stood, and reached down to help the blushing first year up.

“Anyway, you should probably get home, you’ve got another exam tomorrow. Come on,” Nishinoya led the way over to their bags. As the older boy walked him back to the school to retrieve his bike, Shouyou found himself not dreading tomorrow as much. It must be because he was going to get to play volleyball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently became obsessed with this ship and wanted to add to the nearly empty collection of fics, hopefully this doesn't suck
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> This is also posted on wattpad


	2. Just Two Bros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh? You think I’m hot, Shouyou?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. Shouyou covered his face, partially from embarrassment and partially because it should be illegal for Nishinoya Yuu to do that with his hair.

The next day after his last supplementary exam was over, Shouyou once again found Nishinoya waiting outside the gym with food. Today the two were lucky enough to be eating lunch at a normal time instead of having to wait till early afternoon. 

“Noya-senpai!” Shouyou waved excitedly and sprinted over. The libero’s eyes widened and he had to sidestep to avoid being knocked over by the redhead. 

“Someone’s hungry, aren’t they?” Nishinoya teased. Shouyou pouted, but nodded in response. With a wide smile on his face, the older boy handed Shouyou one of the boxes of take out food. It was rice balls with grilled chicken skewers. 

“Ahhh this smells so good, thank you Noya-senpai!” Shouyou cheered, before digging into the food. The two boys ate quickly, as both were eager to practice. 

“You know, I’m still bummed about missing Tokyo. But practicing with you is super awesome!” Shouyou told his upperclassman. Nishinoya blushed, and waved the compliment away.

“Ahhh, Shouyou you are too kind. Sure, I’m talented, but there is only so much I can help you with.” Nishinoya replied. Shouyou shook his head.

“No, seriously. While I would love to work on spiking, what good is that if I cannot keep the ball off the ground? What you do is so cool, Noya-senpai!” he complimented the older boy again. Nishinoya shook his head, but a smile was on his face. 

The two reached the same hidden court from the day before. From his bag Nishinoya pulled out a volleyball, as well as a speaker. 

“I figured we could use some music as we practice today.” he told the first year, who nodded happily. “Afterall, it is the best way to get hyped up.” 

A song started, with horns and a bass drum blaring out before english lyrics played. Shouyou had no idea what it was saying, but he liked the beat. Nishinoya was right, it did hype him. 

“All right, let’s go!”

The two boys practiced a lot of the same things as the day before. Afterall, one day of practice doesn't make perfect. It takes consistent effort and time to become and stay strong. While Nishinoya did improve a ton on receives and setting, the two focused mainly on Shouyou’s skills. 

“I can’t spike or play offense as a libero, but you can learn defense. If you can combine your killer spikes with killer receives, you’d be the best out there.” Nishinoya told the first year confidently. Shouyou’s eyes sparkled and he gaped at his upperclassman. 

“You think so?!” he exclaimed. Nishinoya nodded, smirking. 

“Yup, but it won’t happen overnight. Now come on, one more time.” the older boy encouraged the younger. With renewed energy, despite having been practicing for over an hour at this point, Shouyou went back into practice at full throttle. The two continued for another hour, and it was reaching mid-afternoon. Shouyou loved volleyball more than anything, but practicing outside in the heat for nearly three hours straight had taken its toll. Especially after nearly twice the amount of practice the day before. He hated to admit it, but he was going to need a break soon. 

“One more!” Nishinoya called out to him. Taking a deep breath, Shouyou sprinted at the net. Nishinoya lept just before him and set the ball. Shouyou jumped up and slammed the ball down, but Nishinoya rolled under the net, yelling his catchphrase, and stopped the ball from hitting the ground. When Shouyou’s feet hit the ground again, he immediately sat down to give his legs a rest. 

“What the hell, Noya-san! You’re so cool! How do you manage it?!” Shoyou complimented in a tired and whiny voice. Nishinoya blushed, and sat down a couple feet away just under the net. 

“Whaaaaat?! Nah, it’s just the job of a libero, Shouyou.” he tried to wave off the compliment. Shouyou shook his head, determined. 

“No, really! You’re such a reliable libero, you always give it everything you’ve got, even in practice!” Shouyou insisted. “And like even outside of volleyball, you’re still so cool and funny and reliable! It’s crazy.” the first year told the second year. Nishinoya let out a short laugh, and beamed at the other boy.

“Well...thanks then, Shouyou! But the same goes to you!” he replied. Shouyou tilted his head, confused. Nishinoya shrugged, as if the answer was obvious. 

“Please, Shouyou, you’re one of the most likable dudes I know. You’re friendly with everyone, and so enthusiastic. And don’t even get me started on your competitiveness.” Nishinoya leaned to put his weight on one arm. “You run at the net so confidently with everything you’ve got and BOOM! get around those blockers-it’s kinda hot to be honest.” the older boy added as an afterthought. 

Shouyou turned bright red from all the praise.  _ Nishinoya Yuu  _ thought he was cool and talented.  _ Nishinoya  _ thought he was hot! The younger boy didn’t know how to process this. It was overwhelming, and not what he expected to hear after practicing volleyball. 

“EH? Gwah like you’re one to talk!! If I’m hot then what does that make you?!” Shouyou burst out in his flustered state. It took a moment for both boys to register what had been said. Shouyou groaned internally, regretting everything. Meanwhile Nishinoya’s face went blank for a moment. He blinked a couple times, before a sly smirk formed on his face. 

“Oh? You think I’m hot, Shouyou?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. Shouyou covered his face, partially from embarrassment and partially because  _ it should be illegal for Nishinoya Yuu to do that with his hair.  _

“Ahhh stop! You said it first! Don’t make it weird!” Shouyou squeaked out. A light laugh from his upperclassman caused Shouyou to peak through a gap in his fingers. Nishinoya stood up and smiled down at Shouyou. 

“You’re right I did say it first. And don’t be embarrassed Shouyou, I think it just shows how intelligent we are that we can recognize what a fine specimen the other is! You don’t have to be tall to be an attractive and capable man!” he said the last sentence firmly. Shouyou briefly wondered if his upperclassman had ever been rejected for his height. He didn’t dwell on it too long, because Nishinoya was turning the music off and packing up.

“Well, Shouyou. We’re still on break, and none of our friends will be back until like midnight. It’s only 3:30. Wanna do something?” Nishinoya asked. The first year’s eyes widened comically and he shot up from the ground. 

“Yes, definitely!”

That was how the two highschoolers found themself at a nearby shopping district nearly a half hour later. They were both still sweaty and smelly, but neither was too bothered by it. Besides, the chaotic duo had passed by a perfume stand and tried them all out for fun. Now they were surrounded by a bad mix of chemicals, but it was better than B.O. 

The two strolled through several crowded stores. They checked out the latest music, mangas, and games that had just come out that Shouyou could never afford. It was fun to browse though. It was honestly less stressful with no money to spend, because he didn’t have to pick and choose what to buy. Shouyou just wouldn’t buy anything!! Except food, that was his weakness. 

The two teenagers made it out of the entertainment district and into the clothing one. Right off the bat Nishinoya saw a giant trench coat and dragged Shouyou over. 

“Ahhh we gotta try this on!” he exclaimed! Shouyou frowned.

“But I can’t buy that. Plus I’m too short for it.” he protested. Nishinoya frowned. 

“Ahhhh good point. Let’s find something else then.” he insisted. The two wandered around, switching off and on between trying on outfits they actually liked and outfits that made them laugh. Each boy exited their respective changing rooms and earned completely different reactions. Shouyou was in tight jeans and a plaid shirt. Simple but nice.

“Dang, Shoyou, you clean up well.” Nishinoya winked. The older boy was currently standing proud in a large floral hat, the trenchcoat from early which easily touched the floor, the orange t-shirt he had been wearing all day, and a pleated white skirt that reached mid thigh. Nothing matched at all, it was so ridiculous that Shouyou burst into laughter. Both boys laughed loudly, before taking a mirror selfie together so that Nishinoya could send a picture to Tanaka. The outfits didn’t go together at all. However, Shouyou had to admit it, Nishinoya could pull off a skirt if he wanted to. His thighs were just...wow.

Shouyou mentally slapped himself.  _ What is with me today?! _

“Yeah...I love this but definitely am not buying it. Except for the boots! They’re 16000 yen but I love them soooo…” Nishinoya told Shouyou. It was only then that Shouyou looked down at his upperclassman’s feet, which were clad in cool looking black combat boots with a bit of a heel. It was only when he looked up that he realized that with those shoes on Nishinoya was currently a couple centimeters taller than him. It was...weird. But not bad. However, Shouyou enjoyed not looking up for once when with Nishinoya so he didn’t necessarily want the other to be taller. 

“You like them for the height they add.” Shouyou pointed out. Nishinoya spluttered and turned red, instantly shaking his head.

“NO! Well, yes. But they also look cool! I’m gonna be the coolest senpai ever in them! And the girls will think it's badass!” The libero defended himself. Shouyou shook his head and laughed. There really was never a dull moment with Nishinoya. 

Hours later, the two boys were on Nishinoya’s couch snacking and watching a movie. The older boy had suggested that they hang out more, and Shouyou’s mom had given the okay for a sleepover. Once given permission, the two had bought their favorite snack foods and taken public transport back to town. From there they had gotten Shouyou’s bike and made their way to the older boy’s house. It was now just after midnight, and they were nearly done with their second movie. Nishinoya had already nodded off a couple times, and was currently staring at the screen with his eyes only partially open. Each boy was wrapped in his own blanket, and Nishinoya was leaning over. His head was on the couch just next to Shouyou’s shoulder, not touching it but close enough that the first year could feel the body heat. Checking his phone for the time, the redhead saw that it was now just after midnight. 

“The team should be back soon, if not already.” Shouyou said. Nishinoya nodded, letting out a small “Mhm.”

They continued to watch the movie for a little longer, before the credits screen finally rolled. 

“Thank you, Noya-san.” Shouyou began quietly. The older boy made a great effort to turn his head to face Shouyou, opening his tired eyes. 

“I was really bummed about missing the trip. I’m still disappointed to be honest. But...you made it fun. You distracted me and helped me practice and cheered me up. You really are the best, senpai.” Shouyou confessed softly. It took a minute for the words to register in Nishinoya’s sleepy brain, but when they did a blinding smile spread across the older boy’s face. 

“Of course, Shouyou! Tokyo would’ve been awesome, but these two days were also awesome! We should hang out more often!” After a moment, Shouyou found himself smiling back at his teammate. 

“We should.”

The two boys went to bed soon after. Nishinoya was out like a light. And Shouyou, well he spent a while staring at the ceiling trying to convince himself it was normal to stop breathing for a second when his friend smiled cutely at him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyye chapter two here we go  
> if nishinoya can travel the world for years the dude can definitely afford nice shoes lol
> 
> hope you liked it!
> 
> (also this is not edited i am too tired rn pls forgive me)  
> \--also this is 3rd person but centered around hinata that is why i am writing shouyou for him and referring to nishinoya by his last name for the time being


	3. What is this Feeling?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nishinoya's smile does things to Shouyou.

It was the morning after Karasuno’s volleyball team got back from Tokyo. Despite having only slept for roughly five hours, Kageyama was already at the school’s gym to practice. Suga was also there with the keys, and was soon followed by Tanaka. Not even a minute later, Asahi and Daichi walked into the gym. Over the next hour or so, the rest of the team strolled in and by 9:00 most of the team was gathered and determined to improve together. However, it was far quieter than normal. This was because two of the loudest members of the team had yet to show.

“Where is that shrimp?! I want to try something new with our quick attack!” Kageyama grumbled.

“I am kind of surprised he wasn’t waiting at the gym to practice the moment we got back.” Daichi laughed. “Have you tried calling him?” he suggested. Kageyama nodded.

“Yes, the dumbass didn’t answer.” He pouted. Suga shrugged.

“Well, today is technically still a break, he might be busy.” He said. Tsukishima snorted at this.

“Too busy for volleyball? Hinata? Never.” He pointed out. The other boys nodded at this. The hyperactive first year loved volleyball more than anything.

“Has anyone gotten in contact with Noya?” Asahi asked.

“Calling him right now!” Tanaka waved his phone, and put it on speaker so the team could listen in.

_Riiiiiing. Riiiiiing. Riiiiiiing._

“Ryuuuuuu! What’s up?” the cheerful voice of their libero rang across the gym. Tanaka smiled.

“Nothing much, just waiting for your lazy ass at the gym with the team. First you miss Tokyo, and now practice?? For shame.” The boy let out a dramatic sigh. A laugh rang out from the phone.

“Wow, I can’t believe you are all up already. Especially Asahi, he sleeps like a rock!”

“Hey!” the ace protested.

“Anyway, I can’t wait to see what you guys have learned! Was it fun?” Nishinoya asked. Several boys chimed in at once, before Tanaka cut them off.

“Yeah, it was awesome. Get over here and we will show you.” Tanaka promised.

“Yeah, yeah. It might be a bit though, I gotta wake Shouyou up first.” Nishinoya told the group.

“Okay sounds –“ Tanaka was cut off.

“Shorty is with you?!!! That’s why he wouldn’t answer his phone?” Kageyama exclaimed. The group was quiet for a moment before Nishinoya spoke again.

“Oh! Yeah, he is. We practiced a bit together to stay sharp, and then we watched movies and he stayed the night. But don’t worry, you can count on me to get his sleepy ass out of bed!” the libero promised cheerfully before hanging up. The rest of the team stared at each other, not sure why they were surprised that the other two members of the club hung out.

Practice did not go smoothly. They all had a ton of fun, but all of their tricks needed a lot of work. Nishinoya needed to practice setting to each spiker, the first years all needed to work on blocks, Asahi and Yamaguchi had serves to improve, and Kageyama and Shouyou had a lot of work to do to improve their quick attack.

“You need to improve individually before you can give the team your strength.” Coach Ukai had told the boys, before assigning them areas to practice. It felt amazing to know how much they had to improve. Some would say it is daunting, but the boys were excited to try so many new things.

The next few weeks passed with the boys working hard on their weaknesses. Asahi’s serves improved a ton, and so did Yamaguchi’s. When they were invited to the week long summer camp in Tokyo, Karasuno’s volleyball club was stoked to have the chance to try all of the things that they had been practicing against powerhouse schools. As the volleyball club gathered early in the morning around the bus, Shouyou found himself bouncing up and down.

“Excited to get to go this time?” Suga asked with a smile. The first year nodded frantically. Tanaka laughed, and slapped the redhead on the back.

“Good, good! Save your excitement and channel it into energy! We will have to work hard to win.” The second year said with determination. The group climbed on the bus, and Shouyou found himself sitting next to Kageyama.

“Hey! What are the teams like?!” Shouyou asked excitedly. The setter’s face twitched into a frown.

“Very strong. It will be good to have a libero this time. And be ready for their blocks.” The dark haired boy started to tell Shouyou about the other teams in Tokyo. With each thing he learned, the redhead got more and more excited. Each and every game filled the boy with joy. As awesome as it was to spend time with Nishinoya a few weeks ago, he was relieved that he got to join this time.

The training camp was everything Shouyou hoped for and more. The teams were incredibly powerful. Kenma was as smart as ever, and learning from Bokuto-san was the best! Despite losing a lot, Shouyou was grateful for the chance to learn from these powerful players. There was nothing better than the feeling of improving at volleyball.

However, Shouyou had noticed something strange about the week. Like always, the team encouraged each other and gave one another tips on how to improve. They watched each other closely to grow as a team. It was normal.

But something about having Nishinoya’s eyes on him did things to Shouyou. When the libero praised him, it was as if the first year could do anything. He also found himself slightly nervous when the older boy watched him. Shouyou didn’t know why. Maybe it was just because Nishinoya-san was _so cool!_ Of course having someone that cool praise him would make Shouyou blush.

The weirdest moment by far was after making a killer quick attack, Shouyou’s first instinct was to turn around and see if Nishinoya had seen. When he found the libero beaming back at him, Shouyou felt on top of the world. Or maybe it was just the high he got from executing a good attack. Shouyou frowned, and turned to Kageyama, who raised an eyebrow. _Dammit,_ what was going on inside Shouyou’s head?! Sure, Nishinoya was his friend. But there was no way _his smile_ was causing Shouyou to feel this way. Definitely not. It had to be the awesome spike!

It was the night before the last day of training camp. Shouyou was waiting for his turn in the showers, and sitting with Yachi by the window. Tsukishima and Kageyama were arguing over in the corner, and Yamaguchi was reading a book on his futon. Yachi was currently working on something in her sketchbook, that Shouyou could not see from this angle. The girl was truly a talented artist, and the redhead was glad that they were friends.

“What are you working on?” he asked the new manager, and leaned in closer. The girl startled, and ended up throwing her sketch book onto the floor.

“AHH! Shouyou, how were you so quiet? And it’s nothing! Nothing at all…” she waved her hands and moved to pick up the sketch book. However, Shouyou, being a gentleman, had already picked it up for her. As he handed it back, he got a glimpse of the work in progress. It was clearly a girl, staring off to the side of the paper, with glasses propped on her nose.

“Is that Shimizu-san?” Shouyou asked. Yachi went bright red and rapidly shook her head. Shouyou tilted his head in confusion, and the girl let out a sigh and nodded.

“Yes…it is. She just looked really pretty today and I wanted to attempt to capture it.” The blonde admitted softly. After a second the girl seemed to realized what she had said, and the blush returned.

“Oh gosh please don’t think I’m a creeper or a stalker I just can’t help it Kiyoko-san is so kind and impressive and pretty and smart-“ she began to ramble.

“Yachi…” Shouyou interrupted. “It’s not creepy, I promise! You are so talented! I am sure Shimizu would love to see your art work even!” he encouraged his friend. The girl shook her head so hard it looked painful, and her red face turned quite pale.

“NO! Then she would know that I like her!” Yachi whispered fiercely. Shouyou’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped as he processed this information.

“Wait! You like Shimizu-san? Really?! Since when?!” he exclaimed. Yachi shoved her hands over the redhead’s mouth. Looking around frantically, she was relieved to see Tsukishima and Kageyama still arguing. Yamaguchi, however, had looked up at the ruckus.

“It’s okay, Yachi. I won’t tell if you don’t want people to know.” The other boy promised and the blonde slumped in relief. Turning back to Shouyou, she slowy took her hands off his face once she was sure that he would not shout.

“I don’t know when really. I just admire her a lot, and think about her a lot. Her opinion of me is really important. One day I woke up and realized the feelings were more than just friendly. I…really like Kiyoko san. She is amazing.” Yachi finished softly.

Shouyou nodded slowly. After having it pointed out, it made sense. Yachi did look at the older manager like she was the coolest thing in the room a lot. The two sat in silence for a while, observing the other first years. Finally, Yachi let out a sigh.

“Have you ever liked anyone, Shouyou-chan?” the girl asked him. The redhead furrowed his eyebrows, thinking hard. He didn’t think so.

“I don’t think so…I don’t know, I have just always been focused on volleyball. Sure, there are people I admire, but in a friendly or sportsmanship like way.” He told his friend. Yachi laughed softly at this.

“Ah I wish I could have that kind of focus. I’m a total mess around Kiyoko-san. But despite that, whenever she is around I get the feeling that everything is okay. Like it is impossible to have a bad day as long as she is there.” Yachi told Shouyou.

The first years were called to the showers before the conversation could continue, but Yachi was glad she had gotten the chance to talk to her friend. It was good to let her feelings out.

The last day was going to be brutal. Karasuno’s team was exhausted after a hard week of playing. They had worked hard and improved a lot, but they were about to reach their limit. However, all of that changed when Daichi became their savior by delivering the wonderful news: There was a BBQ! Maybe there was something worth fighting for! Surely the day could not be too bad with such amazing food!

As Shouyou celebrated this wonderful news, he found himself dancing and singing with Kageyama, Tanaka, and Nishinoya. This break, this light at the end of the tunnel, was just what the team needed. Shouyou felt invincible. He laughed as he watched Tanaka’s stupid dance, and felt something inside of him go soft when he saw Nishinoya’s large smile.

Shouyou was a part of a wonderful team. Playing with them this week had been amazing, and a wonderful BBQ was the perfect way to finish things up. Shouyou’s gaze naturally fell onto the libero as the group continued to cheer, and for just a split second the redhead forgot about the games, and the meat.

_“But despite that, whenever she is around I get the feeling that everything is okay. Like it is impossible to have a bad day as long as she is there.”_ He recalled Yachi’s words from the night before, and Shouyou’s smile changed from wide and excited to soft, and a little resigned.

Of course today would be good. How could it not, when Nishinoya Yuu was there with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so happy you are all reading! I am relieved that I am not the only one whipped for this ship. Also, I know YachixKiyoko is not canon but you cannot tell me Yachi didn't have a crush on Kiyoko that girl was always a blushing mess around her.


	4. The Trip (pt 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know, Shouyou, you make me really like me. Thank you.”

Summer break was going to be over far too soon. Shouyou was excited for more volleyball club activities, but not for more school. He had really enjoyed having a looser schedule.

It was currently a Thursday afternoon, and Shouyou was at Nishinoya’s house. The other boy was showing him all of his favorite hiding places in his house that he used to avoid his parents when he was little.

“Sometimes it would take them hours to find me!” the older boy boasted proudly. Shouyou’s eyes widened.

“Wow, Noya-san that is crazy!” he replied. Nishinoya smiled widely, before grabbing Shouyou’s hand and dragging him through the house.

“I love this next one a lot.” He opened the door that led to the garage. The two boys walked past the car in the garage, over to a bunch of shelves.

“I used to hide up there.” Nishinoya pointed, “wait, what is that?” he asked and moved towards a shelf. What he pulled off the self happened to be an old four person tent.

“Whaaat? I didn’t know we owned one of these! I have never been camping.” Nishinoya pouted, saddened by the thought.

“Oh, really? Me neither.” Shouyou replied in attempt to help the older boy feel better. Suddenly, the older boy’s face lit up.

“Shouyou! Let’s go camping!”

That was how after lunch the next day Shouyou found himself getting on a train to the coast with Nishinoya. It had taken a bit of work to convince both of their parents, but the adults had finally agreed after Nishinoya suggested they camp near his uncle. 

Unsurprisingly, a trip where Shouyou and Nishinoya had very little supervision was bound to be chaotic. Both boys tended to be hyperactive, and it was quite easy for both of them to get distracted.

Shouyou's mind was having a field day. It was torn between exploring all amazing sights to see, or focusing all of its attention on Nishinoya. The latter was particularly appealing when he explained the places the two boys visited so confidently.

"Do you come here a lot, Nishinoya-san?" The redhead asked. The other male nodded.

"Yeah! My uncle only has two daughters, so he invites me out a ton. Spoils me like the son he never had. He taught me to fish!" The older bragged. 

"So where are we actually camping?" Shouyou asked. The two were in Nishinoya's uncle's back yard, walking towards the beach.

"I figured we would set the tent up on the beach! Let the waves lull us to sleep!" The older boy explained enthusiastically. The two boys stopped walking about 100 meters from the water, and Nishinoya dropped the tent onto the ground.

"Okay! How to do this?" The libero unzipped the bag. Shouyou frowned as he knelt down next to the other boy.

"Wait, you don't know how to set up a tent either?" He asked. Nishinoya shook his head, a little embarrassed

"Nah, like I said, never camped in a tent before. And it looks like my parents must have thrown the instructions out a while ago." He gestured to the tent bag with a sigh.

"That's okay! We can figure it out!" Shouyou said confidently. Nishinoya shot him a large smile before heaving the tent out of the bag and laying a tarp on the ground. The two boys got to work on setting up the tent, and after a confusing ten minutes they were pretty sure they had done it right.

"All right! Nice job, Shouyou!" Nishinoya hit the younger boy's shoulder. The two set their things inside the tent, before heading up to eat dinner with Nishinoya's aunt and uncle. His two daughters were also there, appearing to be in high school and middle school respectively.

"So, Yuu, your cousin here wants to join her school volleyball club. Tryouts are after the break, would you mind practicing with her a little after dinner?" Nishinoya's uncle gestured to his younger daughter. The boys agreed to help, and ended up playing volleyball with Nishinoya’s cousins for about an hour after dinner. The older sister was not an athlete, but she was a good sport and it helped to have another body there. Nishinoya was quite a good teacher, and Shouyou felt himself being proud of the older boy. Nishinoya was just so  _ good.  _ Both at volleyball and just in general. 

Soon the sun was setting, and the girls were called back inside by their mother. 

“Yuu, do you or your friend need anything before bed?” the woman asked kindly. Shouyou and Nishinoya glanced at each other before shaking their heads.

“Nah, we are okay, thank you.” Nishinoya replied before leading the way back down to the beach. Once they reached the beach, the two boys were met with a stunning sight. The way the colors of the sky reflected off of the water as the sun set was incredible. 

“Oh, wow.” Nishinoya let out a quiet gasp. The two stood by the water in silence for a while, taking in the view. 

“You know, it’s Karasuno’s colors.” Shouyou pointed at the orange sky against the now nearly black water. Nishinoya laughed next to him, and took out his phone.

“You are right! I’ll take a picture for the boys.” the libero proceeded to take a picture of the sunset, and then a selfie of him and Shouyou by the water. 

“Send that to me.” Shouyou said instinctively. He definitely wanted a picture of him and Nishinoya. But wait, did he sound too eager? Was that a normal thing to ask for? It should be...oh gosh please don’t let Nishinoya-

“Sure thing!” Nishinoya replied, interrupting Shouyou’s panic “let’s get inside the tent.” It was once the boys zipped the door shut that Nishinoya came to realize something critical. 

“Shit, I didn’t bring a pillow. Wow, I am not good at this camping thing.” the older boy shook his head in frustration. 

“You...you can use mine!” Shouyou offered quickly. Nishinoya beamed at the younger, and pulled him into a clumsy side hug. 

“Ah, what a sweet kohai. Nah, Shouyou, we can share!” the older proposed.  _ Share a pillow?!  _ Their faces would be so close...but it would be suspicious if he said no...Nishinoya would think he was reading into things and that would be awkward…

“Yeah...yeah okay! No problem!” Shouyou stumbled through his response and tried to focus on rolling out his mattress and sleeping bag. Once satisfied, he sat back on his heels and turned to Nishinoya, who had thrown off his shirt. 

“Wow…” Shouyou was unable to stop himself from saying. Unfortunately for him, Nishinoya heard and it was as if the redhead could see the older boy’s ego get bigger. 

“Oh? What’s wow?” he sat down on the mattress with a smirk. The younger boy’s face nearly matched his hair, and he glared at the older. 

“Don’t look at me like that! It’s not weird to be impressed when someone is fit! Sue me for noticing that you are in very good shape!” Shouyou pouted, a little annoyed. Instead of pressing further, Nishinoya laughed, and the cocky smile softened. The libero crawled into his sleeping bag, and patted the pillow next to him to get Shouyou to lie down alongside him. Hesitantly, Shouyou complied, and he found himself just inches away from the other boy. 

“You know, Shouyou, you make me really like  _ me.  _ Thank you.” the older admitted softly. Shouyou was not sure what he had been expecting the older to say, but this was not it. It was rare to see Nishinoya in a serious mood, and Shouyou found himself intrigued by it. When happy, Nishinoya’s smile was one of the most addictive things in the world to Shouyou. But here and now, the younger found himself drowning in the older boy’s thoughtful eyes. Those eyes were now crinkled in confusion, and a finger reached out to poke Shouyou’s nose.

“Huh?!” the redhead snapped out of his thoughts. Nishinoya laughed, and withdrew his hand. 

“You disappeared for a minute there. Are you tired?” the older asked. Shouyou nodded, because as much as he wanted to stay up, he was pretty sleepy. 

“Come on, let’s rest. Tomorrow is gonna be crazy awesome!” Nishinoya promised.

When Shouyou woke up next, it was definitely too early. Everything was completely dark, and the boy was still tired. Shouyou closed his eyes to go back to bed when he realized something; his sleeping bag was soaked through. 

“Huh?!” the redhead sat up abruptly. A loud clap of thunder made the boy aware of the rainstorm going on outside, answering his question.  _ But why was the water getting in the tent?!  _ Staring up at the ceiling, a flash of lightning showed Shouyou the problem: the boys had not properly put the rain cover on. The wind must have blown it off, and rain was currently dripping through the ceiling. 

“Shit!” Shouyou exclaimed, and leapt out of his sleeping bag. Next to him, Nishinoya finally woke up.

“Woah, what the hell?!” he yelled as he jumped up next to Shouyou.

“What do we do?” Shouyou asked. 

“It’s too dark to fix the tent right now, and I have a feeling the rain is gonna pick up. Is our stuff wet, too?” Nishinoya asked. Shouyou turned his phone light on, and shone it on their backpacks. Their backpacks were wet already, but some of the clothes inside were not yet soaked. 

“Okay, grab your backpack and let’s run for my uncle's house, yeah?” Nishinoya suggested. His uncle's house was about a mile away, so the boys would definitely get wet but the run was nothing they couldn’t handle. 

Each boy grabbed his bag and had their flashlight ready. Moving quickly, the two stepped out of the tent and quickly zipped the door shut again. 

“Let’s go!” Shouyou yelled. It was at this moment the two boys realized that they were barefoot, but it was too late now. Luckily they would just be running on sand and grass, so it would not be too bad. Just a minute into the run, an incredible purple bolt of lightning erupted across the sky and lit up the ocean. 

“Oh, wow.” Shouyou paused momentarily to admired the impressive sight. However, Nishinoya had not stopped, and in the poor lighting he plowed right into Shouyou. The two boys tumbled to the ground, with Nishinoya partly on top of Shouyou. Instead of popping right back up, the libero started laughing. 

“We just can’t stay out of trouble, can we Shouyou?” the boy asked. At this point Shouyou joined Nishinoya in laughing. 

“No, we can’t. We must be cursed.” the redhead whined jokingly. 

“Well, at least if I am cursed, I am glad it’s with you.” Nishinoya stated boldly. Despite being on the cold ground in the rain, warmth blossomed in Shouyou’s chest. Despite the chaos of the situation, the first year would not trade it for anything. 

“Me, too.” he replied. He could not see Nishinoya’s face, but he was sure he was grinning. A strong hand found Shouyou’s, and Nishinoya stood up, pulling the younger boy with him. Another flash of lightning crashed through the sky, allowing Shouyou to see the other boy better. His hair was flat against his head, and the rain glistened against Nishinoya’s bare chest. Even now, he still looked cool. The thought caused the younger boy to laugh again.

“What?” Nishinoya asked as they started to jog again. At any other time, Shouyou would have made something up. Maybe it was the setting, or the safety he felt with Nishinoya, but the first year ended up answering honestly.

“Just thinking about how much I like you.” he replied. It was silent for a couple beats, before Shouyou realized what he had just done.

“I mean, you’re just really cool and nice and one of my favorite people to be around and I’m just gonna go!” Shouyou blurted out before picking up the pace. Fate was not on the redhead’s side though, as Nishinoya managed to keep up quite well. 

“Shouyou! Hey! Shouyou!” Nishinoya called out, and finally ended up tripping the first year to get him to stop. Once again on the ground, Shouyou pointed his flashlight up at the second year. 

“Calm down, Shouyou. You didn’t make things weird, I promise.” the older boy reassured the younger. Nervously, Shouyou stood back up next to the other boy. 

“Really?” he asked quietly. Shouyou felt a hand grab his and hold it tightly. 

“You may be a weird person, Shouyou, but so am I. But being with you isn’t weird. I actually really like spending time with you. I just really like you in general.” 

Time seemed to freeze for Shouyou in that moment. It was the feeling he got when seeing over the volleyball net, but he wasn’t on the court. He was standing in the rain in the middle of the night on the beach, and  _ Nishinoya Yuu had just said that he liked him.  _ He liked Shouyou. 

“GWAH?! R-really?! You like being with me?! In what way? Does this mean we are together?! How do we do this? Wait, but what about-” the younger boy’s rambling was cut off by loud laughter from the libero. 

“Ah, Shouyou, you do think quickly. Let’s worry about the details later. For now let’s just get inside and sleep.” Nishinoya pointed out, and a loud rumble of thunder backed up his idea. 

“Right!” Shouyou agreed, embarrassed. He felt the hand in his squeeze, bringing comfort. 

“We can enjoy more time together tomorrow. Now come on, I’ll race you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got past my writers block! Yay! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. These boys are truly chaotic, they would never have a smooth confession. Also this is not the end! I am thinking 2-3 more chapters? But I am not sure yet.  
> Thank you so much for reading everyone! Your comments make me smile, thank you for them!
> 
> (excuse an grammar errors i am pretty tired and was too lazy to edit lol)


	5. The Trip (pt 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou had to admit that Nishinoya was right. They made a pretty good team.

When Shouyou woke up with Nishinoya curled next to him, he thought that he must have dreamed the events of the night before. But then he looked around to see that they were both squished on to a couch in Nishinoya’s uncle's house. 

“What happened to you two?” the voice of Nishinoya’s aunt startled Shouyou, causing him to tumble off the couch. The sound woke Nishinoya up. The libero blinked slowly and stretched as he looked around the room. His hair was flat on his head, because the rain had washed the gel out. Nishinoya looked so different, but to Shouyou it was adorable. The other boy should wear his hair down more often. 

“We got caught in a rainstorm, and hadn’t set the tent up right.” Shouyou explained. The woman laughed at this and shook her head. 

“Oh my gosh, Yuu. I thought you said you knew what you were doing. Now all your stuff is soaked.” she looked at her nephew. Nishinoya blushed and looked away. 

“I thought I did know how to do it! I guess not. All our important stuff is dry, but all our clothes are wet.” the boy sighed. 

“Hmmm...well you two boys help yourself to some breakfast. I will see if we have anything that will fit you guys for today. We can wash your other clothes.” the woman offered kindly before disappearing into the house.

The two teenagers got up and made their way to the table, and Nishinoya made a simple breakfast. 

“I didn’t know you cooked, Noya-san!” Shouyou complimented as he ate. Nishinoya beamed and nodded. 

“I do. Not a lot, but I can do some things. Also, sorry about last night, guess I am not good at camping.” the older boy blushed. That coupled with the boy’s hair being down had Shouyou’s heart rate speeding up considerably. How was Nishinoya so tough yet so adorable at the same time? Was he allowed to tell the older boy that? How would the second year react?

“You good, Sho? You look a little lost?” Nishinoya broke the younger out of his thoughts. Shouyou startled and nodded quickly.

“Yup! All good!”

After the two finished eating, they dressed in some of Nishinoya’s cousin’s sweatshirts and their swim trunks. As the girl was tall, her baggier clothes fit the two boys just fine. Besides, they were navy and purple so most people would not even notice that it was womens’ clothing. 

“All right! Hope you’re ready, Shouyou, it’s gonna be a full day!” Nishinoya smiled widely. Shouyou nodded enthusiastically. 

“You’ll be back for dinner, right boys?” the boy’s aunt asked. Nishinoya nodded and waved goodbye before dragging Shouyou out the door. 

“Where are we going?” Shouyou asked curiously. Nishinoya simply grinned over his shoulder and kept going. After a decent walk alongside the beach, the two reach the area open to the public. Some people were already there, and Nishinoya led the way through the crowds. 

“I’d show you how to fish but I feel like you have too much energy for that. We’re going to take surfing lessons instead.” the older boy informed Shouyou. The redhead’s eyes widened and he took a step back. 

“It’ll be fun! And it’ll help your balance and leg muscles, and your core. It’s good for you, come on!” Nishinoya cheered before leading Shouyou over to the beachside shop. Before the younger boy knew it, he was heading towards the water with a board in hand with the rest of a small group. He tried to follow what the instructor was saying, but it was all so confusing. It was so different from volleyball. Shouyou liked volleyball. It was on solid ground, and it was fun and quick paced. Surfing was also quick paced, but definitely much harder to move around.

“All right, first we are going to get you guys to stand up on your boards in the water.” the instructor said, and guided them through the steps slowly. Nishinoya got the hang of it rather quickly, and Shouyou suspected that the boy had taken lessons before. As he came up from falling off of his board for the second time, Shouyou glared at the laughing boy next to him.

“You’re doing great, Shouyou, but usually you want to be above the board not below.” the libero teased. With a huff, Shouyou climbed back up onto his board. He moved slower this time, and managed to stay up right finally. 

“Good job!” the instructor cheered as she walked by the two boys.

“Hey, Shouyou?” Nishinoya asked as they stood on their boards awaiting further instruction. 

“Yeah?” the first year replied.

“Since we established that we really like being around each other,” Nishinoya smirked, “I think it’s okay for you to call me Yuu.”

“Gwah?!” Shouyou choked on air and fell off his surfboard once more.

A couple hours later, the two boys were on the beach drying off under an umbrella. Nishinoya had brought snacks with him in his backpack, and he and Shouyou were sharing them. 

“You did really good, Sho. No one picks it up on the first time.” he comforted the younger, who had fallen quite a bit. The younger looked away in embarrassment and shoved another chip in his mouth. The older chuckled and flopped down onto his towel.

“I’m really glad we did this though. Just a short trip, but very needed. I’m not ready for school to start again. School sucks.” the older commented. Shouyou nodded in agreement. 

“No kidding, I never understand anything.” the redhead whined. “Thanks for inviting me, Yuu-senpai.” he told the other boy as he laid on his own towel next to the other boy. Nishinoya’s face turned bright red.

“Ahhh, Shouyou! You kill me!” the older boy exclaimed. Shouyou propped himself up on an elbow to look at Nishinoya.

“What do you mean?” he asked. Nishinoya looked up at him and smiled fondly. 

“You’re just so great. So fun. I really like you.” he said sincerely. It was Shouyou’s turn to be bright red. 

“S-so last night?!” he asked and the older boy nodded. 

“I meant it. Did you?” Nishinoya questioned. After a second, Shouyou nodded. 

“And do you wanna do anything about it?” Nishinoya asked quietly. Shouyou looked down at the other boy, who was looking at him with a slightly nervous face. Nishinoya was such a wonderful friend, a wonderful person. He was such a good volleyball teammate, and pretty hot when he played to be honest. He looked hot right now, too, with his abs on display and hair brushed back from his forehead. Before Shouyou could think too much about it, he was leaning down and touching his lips to Nishinoya’s.

Everything was still for a long and breathtaking moment, before Nishinoya’s hand on Shouyou’s shoulder caused the younger to pull away with a start. The older blinked up at him, before a smirk formed on his face.

“Getting bold, eh, Sho?” he teased. Shouyou blushed and backed up. 

“Shut up, Yuu!” he retorted, and Nishinoya laughed. 

“Wow! You’re really comfortable around me aren’t you? Kissing me, telling your elder to shut up?” the older continued to tease. Shouyou glared at the other boy and threw a chip at him. 

“Well if you didn’t like it maybe I shouldn’t do it anymore.” Shouyou challenged. The older boy stopped laughing and gave Shouyou a once over. 

“Oh, trust me, I did not mind. Would you do that more often if we were dating?” Nishinoya asked Shouyou. The younger blinked, unsure what to say back.

“Date?” he questioned nervously. Nishinoya sat up and grabbed Shouyou’s hand. 

“Only if you want to.” he spoke quickly. “I just thought it could be fun, you know? We already enjoy volleyball together, we could add after practice dates to the mix.” Nishinoya suggested. 

“I...I do want to!” Shouyou exclaimed. “It's just, I have never dated before. And...we are both guys...what would people do?” he worried. Nishinoya squeezed his hand encouragingly. 

“Hey, I have never dated either. We can figure it out together. As for the other part...well some people are just not cool no matter what. But our team will be chill. We can take it at your pace. But personally, I think we make a pretty good team.” Nishinoya smiled at Shouyou. After a long moment, the younger boy nodded and smiled back.

“Okay.” he agreed. Nishinoya beamed at him, and leaned in to peck his cheek.

“Great!” the older stood and offered Shouyou his hand, “Well then,  _ boyfriend,  _ I wanna do one more thing before we go have dinner.” 

About a half hour later, Shouyou found himself on a jetski with his boyfriend. Boyfriend. He liked it, but it was weird to think of Nishinoya that way to be completely honest. 

“I’ll let you drive in a bit, but first I wanna show you around the bay a bit and give you a thrill.” Nishinoya called over his shoulder as they slowly moved out of the “no-wake zone.” As soon as they were in a safe spot to do so, Nishinoya twisted the gas and took off. The jetski lurched forward with a bump and took off away from shore. Nishinoya took a couple turns to create bigger waves and then sped through them, causing the boys to jump in the seat. 

“WOOOOO!” Nishinoya cheered, causing Shouyou to cheer as well. It was a little nerve wracking, but super fun. After speeding past others out on the water and nearly falling off on a couple sharp turns, Nishinoya finally slowed to a stop and turned off the engine. 

“All right, Shouyou. Your turn!” The older boy tied the key to the younger boy’s wrist. Shouyou managed to climb over his boyfriend without falling into the ocean and sat down in front of Nishinoya. 

“What do I do?” he asked. Nishinoya showed him how to turn the jetski on, and advised him to not turn too fast or suddenly. 

“Stay a safe distance from other boats, and just try it out! Don’t worry, it’ll be fun!”

Choosing to believe Nishinoya, Shouyou decided to take off. He moved slowly at first, wanting to get away from other jetskis before he attempted to go faster. After a few minutes, he was more comfortable and made a smooth turn to the right.

Shouyou twisted the gas all the way and soon the two boys were speeding along parallel to the shoreline at 60 mph.

“YEAAAAH, SHOUYOU!!! HERE WE GO!!” Nishinoya yelled behind him. Shouyou let a laugh escape him and let out a cheer of his own. It was such a euphoric feeling. As he sped along with his boyfriend holding onto him tightly and ocean spray in their faces, Shouyou had to admit that Nishinoya was right. They made a pretty good team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another chapter finally! Sorry college was crazy and I had writers block for a bit. But I hope you guys enjoy this one, these boys are just so fun! I am thinking probably just one more chapter after this, I'm not completely sure though


	6. Karasuno is Chaotic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, to answer your earlier question, no. I don’t need a woman to be happy.” he replied. Tanaka frowned, confused. 
> 
> “...Right? Like I said…” he trailed off as his eyes locked on Nishinoya’s hand, which he now realized had been on Hinata’s thigh throughout the whole dinner. The second year’s jaw dropped.

Daichi was a good captain. He was a solid and talented player, and knew how to encourage his team. He always kept tabs on their emotions and stamina to make sure nobody wore themselves out. Because he was rather observant of his team, the captain could tell something was off. He could not quite put his finger on it, but something was different. Something had happened over the break from school. But what was it?

He did not have time to dwell on it at the moment though, because they were warming up to play Shiratorizawa for a ticket to nationals. Daichi and his teammates needed to be relaxed and focused in order to play their best. 

The game started at a fast pace and stayed that way. The first set was over far too quickly, and Daichi could see his team’s nerves growing. However, after some encouraging words they were all fired up again. The game went on, and the pressure grew. 

Tsukishima’s injury didn’t help. No one was mad at the tall player, but it definitely hurt to not have their best blocker. Daichi was confident that they could hold on, but for how long he did not know. He and Tanaka in particular were running on fumes, having been in the entire game. Hinata’s jumps were taking a lot out of him, too. But they had made it to the 5th set, they had to keep going. 

The serve came over the net, just barely, and fell short. It was going to fall, and Daichi couldn’t let that happen. But the third year could not make his legs move no matter what. Out of the corner of his eye Daichi saw movement, and suddenly Nishinoya was on the floor, keeping the ball in play. However, before the captain could relax he saw the other team rising up to spike the ball. There was no time to block, Nishinoya was down, this was it--

With inhuman speed, Nishinoya had pushed off the floor with his hands and whirled around to receive the spike perfectly. And just like that, they were back in the game. 

“NISHINOYA!!” the whole team exploded. However, there was no time to cheer, they still had to win. 

And win the game they did. Somehow, Karasuno had pulled together and defeated the champions of the prefecture. They were going to nationals. The whole team was euphoric. Daichi pulled Asahi and Sugawara into a hug. They had come so far together. They had done it!

When Daichi turned to congratulate his team, he saw Nishinoya leaning on Hinata with his arm around the younger boy’s shoulders. This wasn’t unusual except for the fact that Nishinoya seemed to be favoring one of his legs. 

“You good, Noya-san?” Sugawara asked. The libero beamed at them, and squeezed Hinata’s shoulder. 

“Of course! We’re going to Nationals!” he cheered. Daichi smiled. 

“Right! But did you get hurt?” Asahi gestured to the libero’s leg. Nishinoya rubbed his neck with his free hand, a little embarrassed. 

“Oh, I’m not sure. But I think I did something when I saved that spike, my ankle has been hurting since then.” he admitted. Daichi nodded, a little surprised that Hinata of all people had noticed before him. The younger boy really had become more observant. He was glad that Hinata and Nishinoya got along so well.

“Definitely get that looked at, then go ahead and meet us by the bus. I’m treating you all to dinner.” Coach Ukai said from behind Daichi. 

As the rest of the team showered and cleaned up, Hinata walked with Nishinoya to the nurse’s office. 

“That’s one perk to us both being so short, my arm doesn’t hurt hanging on to you.” Nishinoya joked as they walked through the halls. Hinata chuckled in response. 

“Yeah, but I’m not done growing just yet. I bet in a few years I’ll be even taller!” he declared. Nishinoya huffed and poked Hinata sharply in the side.

“I’ve just reached perfection already is all. I don’t need to grow to get better.” Nishinoya bragged. Hinata rolled his eyes and jabbed Nishinoya back.

“If that helps you sleep at night, Yuu.” he teased. Nishinoya glared at the other boy.

“Yes, yes it does so let me continue to think that.” he replied, and Hinata laughed. Nishinoya loved the other boy’s laugh. The two teammates reached the nurse’s station, and the nurse had the libero sit down. 

“All right, I'm going to put my hand here,” the nurse touched Nishinoya’s ankle, “and have you do a few stretches, okay?” they asked. Nishinoya nodded and followed the nurse’s instructions. The older boy tried to keep a straight face, but the slight grimace told Hinata the older boy was in pain. Nishinoya was such a tough guy, he always remained strong for the rest of the team. He really was the guardian of Karasuno. He was their safety net to fall into. Hinata admired the boy so much, and he was grateful for the chance to be Nishinoya’s shoulder to lean on. 

“Okay, lucky for you, it’s not too bad. Just a moderate sprain, probably from how you twisted quickly in the game out there like you said. Take it easy for a couple weeks and it should heal on its own.” the nurse said. Nishinoya beamed, and made to stand up but the nurse stopped him.

“Look, you were tough out there, and kept playing on it. That’s impressive. But if you use your ankle too much more damage can happen. Avoid putting weight on it as much as possible these next two weeks. Try and ice it once a day, too. A little walking will be fine, but definitely not volleyball practice.” the nurse stated firmly. At this, the libero frowned. Hinata imagined he could not be too happy, the redhead had no idea what he would do if he couldn’t play volleyball for two weeks. 

“Hey, at least it’s good timing, right? We just earned our ticket to nationals. It won’t be the end of the world for you to take a week or two off. Besides you can still practice bumping and setting with your hands.” Hinata pointed out. After thinking about it, his boyfriend let out a long breath. 

“You’re right, Shoyou.” he accepted the ice pack from the nurse. “Help me out to the bus, I’m hungry.” he declared. Hinata smiled at the other boy, and held out his hand. The older boy blushed a little, but accepted it. 

“What a gentleman, Sho. I’m so blessed.” Nishinoya teased as his arm went around the redhead’s shoulders and Hinata’s arm went around the libero’s waist. Quickly, the younger boy leaned in to peck Nishinoya’s cheek. The older boy immediately blushed. Sure, they had been dating for around a month now, but sudden displays of affection still got him flustered. 

“Let’s go!” he huffed, trying to keep a straight face. 

The rest of the team was on the bus, waiting for the two shortest members of their team. 

“Uuuugh, I’m hungry! Noya needs to hurry up!” Tanaka said loudly. Ukai shook his head at the second year’s antics, and turned to look out the window. The doors of the stadium opened to show the last two members of the team. 

“All right, everyone sit down. They’re heading out, once they get here we’ll hit the road.” he informed his team. After some prodding from Daichi, the boys listened and found their seats. The team turned to watch the approach of their teammates. They were going a little slowly, presumably because Nishinoya’s leg, but they looked surprisingly natural. The two teammates seemed to be bickering and laughing about something, which surprised no one. It was Nishinoya and Hinata, after all. What did surprise them, was when Hinata turned bright red after hearing something from the libero. At this, Asahi shook his head. 

“Don’t mess with the first years, Noya-san.” he scolded half-heartedly. Tanaka laughed. 

“Aww, but it’s so fun! I wonder what he said, Hinata’s looking pretty flustered.” the second year wondered. Before the team could discuss it more, the two final teammates reached the bus. Nishinoya climbed on first, with Hinata right behind him. The libero used his arms to swing himself from seat to seat until he reached Tanaka’s seat and flopped down next to him. Hinata sat down in the seat across the isle next to Kageyama. 

“You good, bro?” Tanaka asked. 

“Yep!” Nishinoya smiled “just a sprained ankle. Gotta be careful with it for a couple weeks but after that I’ll be good to go!” he informed the team. 

“That’s good! You really save us out there!” Daichi smiled at the libero. 

“Yeah, you did awesome! You and Tsukki saved us!” Yamaguchi chimed in. The team continued to compliment one another, all enjoying each other’s company.

Once they reached the restaurant, the team could not order food fast enough. They were so hungry, having used up a ton of energy in the game. Nishinoya insisted on walking on his own, but still had a hand on Hinata’s arm. Yachi observed the two boys with a smile. They complimented each other really well. She didn’t know if she was reading too far into it, but either way she loved their dynamic. 

The group sat down at a couple of long tables pushed together, and eagerly awaited the food as it cooked. Many conversations were carried around the table, and everyone looked happy. She loved her team, but Yachi was relieved to be sitting next to Kiyoko. The guys were naturally intimidating, and when hyper...well she was just glad to be sitting next to someone calm. Especially since Hinata and Kageyama were already in another argument despite having just played an amazing game together. They had such an interesting friendship. 

“Ahhh, today was amazing. I am amazing, right Kiyoko-san?” Tanaka asked proudly. The manager gave the spiker a cold stare, but nodded nonetheless. 

“You did good.” she agreed. The second year looked euphoric at the comment. 

“Does this mean you’ll-” he began.

“No.” Kiyoko cut Tanaka off before he could even finish, and the third years all had to hold back their laughter. Tanka let out a dramatic sigh. 

“My heart is broken. Oh well, we don’t need women to be happy, right Noya?” he declared, turning to his friend next to him. The libero’s face did a funny thing, and Yachi could have sworn he started chewing slower to give himself more time to answer. However, before the libero could say anything, Hinata suddenly turned away from his argument with Kageyama. 

“Yuu, back me up here! Kageyama says-” Yachi lost the rest of the statement as the rest of the table reacted to what they had just heard. Since when did Hinata call Nishinoya by his first name? And why did Nishinoya look used to it? The libero, unaware of the chaos around him, turned to involve himself in whatever Hinata and Kageyama were arguing about. However, the team was not going to let it slide. They were too curious now. 

“Yah, Noya! Since when do you let Hinata call you by your first name?” Tanaka demanded. This got all three of the arguing trio to shut up. Kageyama simply looked confused, while Hinata and Nishinoya seemed to have a silent but chaotic conversation. Finally Hinata led out a loud but slightly shaky sigh.

“Go for it.” he told the libero, causing the whole team to turn to Nishinoya. The libero had a smirk on his face, but Tanaka could see a nervous glint in his friend’s eyes. 

“Well, to answer your earlier question, no. I don’t need a woman to be happy.” he replied. Tanaka frowned, confused. 

“...Right? Like I said…” he trailed off as his eyes locked on Nishinoya’s hand, which he now realized had been on Hinata’s thigh throughout the whole dinner. The second year’s jaw dropped.

“Oh my gosh. _ Oh my gosh.” _ he repeated. The team turned to Tanaka, wondering what he had figured out. 

“You don’t need a woman because you’ve already got a man! Er, well not a man. But hyperactive ball of craziness, so same thing! Congrats, guys!” Tanaka cheered. “I don’t know how I didn’t notice sooner!” he told his friend. At his reaction, Nishinoya’s body released its tense posture, and he smiled back at his friend. 

“What did I miss?” Asahi asked, confused. At this point, Yachi made the connection as well and could not hold back the squeal that escaped her. 

“I thought I sensed something different! Congrats, guys! How long have you been dating?” she asked Hinata and Nishinoya, and at her words the table erupted again. The boys all shouted over each other, expressing shock, congratulations, and asking a million questions. Takeda sensei congratulated the boys as well, though in a far quieter voice. Coach Ukai simply shook his head and took a long drink.

“None of these brats ever learned how to speak indoors.” he lamented to himself. Not long after, the group was kicked out for being too loud, but the boys had been able to finish most of their food luckily. They were too busy interrogating the only members of Karasuno Volleyball Club who were not single. 

By the time they were approaching Karasuno High, things had finally started to quiet down, much to Coach Ukai’s relief. 

“Hey, wait! How does Noya know if you are saying “I love you” or “I love Yuu” Hinata?” Tanaka asked loudly. At this Nishinoya groaned loudly, and Ukai was inclined to join him. This group was a mess. A fun one, but a mess. 

However, as he watched the kids get off the bus, he had to admit that they were a good team. His eyes fell on Nishinoya and Hinata, the latter helping the former walk to Tanaka’s sister’s car. They were talking to one another, soft smiles on their faces as they did so. When he had first decided to come back to Karasuno, Ukai had never expected Hinata to be able to jump so high and play so well. But the fiercely determined redhead had proved him wrong. Ukai had also never expected the two shortest members of his team to date. 

But now, as he watched them exchange a soft smile as they got in Tanaka’s car, Ukai had the feeling that the boys would once again beat his expectations. Those two made a good team. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, at the end! Honestly I had trouble writing romantic nishihina, they just have such unique personalities. i hope you all enjoyed the chaotic story this has been! thank you so much for reading!
> 
> i totally wanna keep writing for this pair, the tag really is too dry. maybe oisuga too, idk that ship is unexpectedly cute to me

**Author's Note:**

> this pairing tag is too dry so i am adding to it. gosh these two idiots are just so cute together i am obsessed  
> please let me know if i got something wrong relating to japanese culture! hope you enjoy!
> 
> also this is posted on wattpad, too


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